Table 2.
The core competency levels of participants with different characteristics and the univariate analysis results for core competency
| Variable [(n, %) or (x ± SD)] | Attitude | Skill | Knowledge | Total scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ∎ Individual-related factors | ||||
| Age (years) | ||||
| 20–29 (386, 22.3%) | 4.00 (3.00, 4.57) | 3.48 (3.00, 4.11) | 3.71 (3.00, 4.14) | 3.61 (3.04, 4.21) |
| 30–39 (1067, 61.6%) | 4.14 (3.57, 4.86) ‡ | 3.86 (3.14, 4.29) ‡ | 3.93 (3.07, 4.50) ‡ | 3.86 (3.27, 4.35) |
| ≥ 40 (278, 16.1%) | 4.29 (3.57, 5.00) ‡ | 3.89 (3.28, 4.51) ‡ | 4.00 (3.29, 4.57) ‡ | 3.98 (3.38, 4.48) |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Gender | ||||
| Female (1716, 99.1%) | 4.14 (3.43, 4.86) | 3.82 (3.11, 4.29) | 3.93 (3.00, 4.43) | 3.84 (3.22, 4.35) |
| Male (15, 0.9%) | 3.86 (3.14, 4.43) | 3.96 (3.00, 3.96) | 4.14 (3.00, 4.93) | 3.94 (3.10, 4.88) |
| P value | 0.196 | 0.300 | 0.424 | 0.503 |
| Marital status | ||||
| Single (235, 13.6%) | 4.00 (3.14, 4.57) | 3.54 (3.00, 4.18) | 3.86 (3.00, 4.29) | 3.63 (3.06, 4.3) |
| Married (1465, 84.6%) | 4.14 (3.43, 4.86) ‡ | 3.82 (3.10, 4.29) ‡ | 3.93 (3.00, 4.43) | 3.84 (3.27, 4.35) |
| Divorced/other (31, 1.8%) | 4.29 (3.43, 5.00) ‡ | 4.1 (3.75, 4.50) ‡§ | 4.07 (3.71, 4.79) ‡§ | 4.10 (3.70, 4.57) |
| P value | 0.009 | 0.008 | 0.032 | 0.004 |
| Education level | ||||
| College graduated or below (260, 15.0%) | 4.00 (3.14,4.71) | 3.50 (3.00, 4.14) | 3.68 (3.00, 4.14) | 3.63 (3.05, 4.22) |
| Bachelor (1437, 83.0%) | 4.14 (3.43,4.86) ‡ | 3.86 (3.11, 4.29) ‡ | 3.93 (3.07, 4.50) ‡ | 3.86 (3.27, 4.37) |
| Master or above (34, 2.0%) | 4.50 (3.86,4.89) ‡ | 4.00 (3.33, 4.55) ‡ | 4.00 (3.54, 4.71) ‡ | 3.91 (3.58, 4.68) |
| P value | 0.002 | 0.007 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Job title | ||||
| None (718, 41.5%) | 4.00 (3.29, 4.71) | 3.79 (3.00, 4.25) | 3.93 (3.00, 4.38) | 3.80 (3.10, 4.35) |
| Nursing team leader/clinical nursing teacher (717, 41.4%) | 4.14 (3.57, 4.86) ‡ | 3.79 (3.11, 4.29) | 3.93 (3.21, 4.43) | 3.82 (3.28, 4.36) |
| Vice head nurse/head nurse (239, 13.8%) | 4.29 (3.57, 5.00) ‡ | 3.93 (3.18, 4.32) | 4.00 (3.14, 4.50) ‡ | 3.98 (3.33, 4.33) |
| Department head nurse or above (57, 3.3%) | 4.57 (3.86, 4.93) ठ| 3.86 (3.20, 4.64) | 3.86 (3.29, 4.50) | 3.94 (3.37, 4.56) |
| P value | 0.001 | 0.150 | 0.168 | 0.074 |
| Professional title | ||||
| Nurse (142, 8.2%) | 3.86 (3.00, 4.43) | 3.46 (3.00, 4.29) | 3.54 (3.00, 4.21) | 3.58 (2.98, 4.37) |
| Senior nurse (694, 40.1%) | 4.00 (3.43, 4.71) ‡ | 3.68 (3.04, 4.14) | 3.79 (3.00, 4.21) | 3.71 (3.12, 4.23) |
| Nurse-in-charge (764, 44.1%) | 4.29 (3.57, 4.86) ठ| 3.89 (3.18, 4.32) ठ| 4.00 (3.21, 4.50) ठ| 3.92 (3.35, 4.41) |
| Associate professor of nursing or above (131, 7.6%) | 4.43 (3.43, 5.00) ठ| 3.96 (3.32, 4.46) ठ| 4.00 (3.36, 4.64) ठ| 4.00 (3.39, 4.47) |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Working experience lengths of geriatric nursing (7.25 ± 5.86 years) | ||||
| Spearman’s correlation coefficients | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.22 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Attitudes toward caring for older adults (3.58 ± 1.75 scores) | ||||
| Spearman’s correlation coefficients | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.40 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| ∎ Employer-related factors | ||||
| Hospital level | ||||
| Tertiary hospital (1372, 79.3%) | 4.14 (3.46, 4.86) | 3.82 (3.12, 4.29) | 3.93 (3.07, 4.50) | 3.86 (3.27, 4.35) |
| Secondary hospital (321, 18.5%) | 4.00 (3.14, 4.71) ‡ | 3.68 (3.00, 4.16) ‡ | 3.71 (3.00, 4.29) ‡ | 3.71 (3.04, 4.27) |
| Primary health care institutions (38, 2.2%) | 4.29 (3.43, 4.89) | 3.93 (3.00, 4.57) | 3.96 (3.00, 4.18) | 4.06 (3.08, 4.40) |
| P value | 0.006 | 0.133 | 0.027 | 0.023 |
| Department | ||||
| Geriatrics (875, 50.6%) | 4.29 (3.57, 4.86) | 3.89 (3.18, 4.43) | 4.00 (3.21, 4.57) | 3.94 (3.29, 4.47) |
| Respiratory/Neurology/Cardiology (267,15.4%) | 4.00 (3.43, 4.86) | 3.86 (3.07, 4.18) | 3.86 (3.00, 4.36) ‡ | 3.86 (3.22, 4.29) |
| Administration (51, 2.9%) | 4.00 (3.43, 5.00) | 3.71 (3.14, 4.04) | 3.79 (3.00, 4.21) ‡ | 3.80 (3.16, 4.16) |
| Other (538, 31.1%) | 4.00 (3.29, 4.57) ‡ | 3.68 (3.00, 4.07) ‡§ | 3.71 (3.00, 4.14) ‡§ | 3.71 (3.08, 4.14) |
| P value | 0.001 | < 0.000 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Whether the department had exact job responsibilities for gerontological nurse specialists | ||||
| Yes (1121, 64.8%) | 4.14 (3.43, 4.86) | 3.93 (3.18, 4.43) | 4.00 (3.14, 4.57) | 3.94 (3.32, 4.46) |
| No (610, 35.2%) | 4.00 (3.43, 4.71) | 3.57 (3.00, 4.00) | 3.71 (3.00, 4.07) | 3.68 (3.08, 4.10) |
| P value | 0.002 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Whether the gerontological nurse specialist certificate was associated with a priority for promotion | ||||
| Yes (584, 33.7%) | 4.29 (3.43, 5.00) | 4.00 (3.32, 4.54) | 4.00 (3.21, 4.64) | 4.02 (3.37, 4.51) |
| No (1147, 66.3%) | 4.00 (3.43, 4.71) | 3.68 (3.04, 4.11) | 3.86 (3.00, 4.29) | 3.73 (3.14, 4.22) |
| P value | 0.008 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Whether the certificate of gerontological nurse specialist was associated with increased salary | ||||
| Yes (466, 26.9%) | 4.21 (3.39, 5.00) | 4.00 (3.32, 4.57) | 4.00 (3.21, 4.57) | 4.02 (3.37, 4.55) |
| No (1265, 73.1%) | 4.00 (3.43, 4.71) | 3.71 (3.04, 4.14) | 3.86 (3.00, 4.36) | 3.78 (3.16, 4.27) |
| P value | 0.085 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| The degree of satisfaction toward the attention and support given by the hospital or department (3.77 ± 0.91 scores) | ||||
| Spearman’s correlation coefficients | 0.29 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.33 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| The degree of satisfaction toward the learning opportunities provided by the hospital or department (3.87 ± 0.90 scores) | ||||
| Spearman’s correlation coefficients | 0.29 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 0.32 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| The degree of satisfaction toward the promotion rules set by the hospital or department (3.39 ± 0.97 scores) | ||||
| Spearman’s correlation coefficients | 0.22 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.27 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| The degree of satisfaction toward the position salary or allowance provided by the hospital or department (3.21 ± 1.01 scores) | ||||
| Spearman’s correlation coefficients | 0.21 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.24 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| ∎ Training-related factors | ||||
| Location where gerontological nurse specialist training was received † | ||||
| Eastern China (548, 31.7%) | 4.29 (3.71, 5.00) | 3.93 (3.29, 4.39) | 4.00 (3.29, 4.57) | 3.98 (3.43, 4.47) |
| Central China (343, 19.8%) | 4.00 (3.14, 4.71) ‡ | 3.79 (3.00, 4.25) ‡ | 3.86 (3.00, 4.29) ‡ | 3.76 (3.08, 4.31) |
| Western China (840, 48.5%) | 4.00 (3.43, 4.71) ‡ | 3.71 (3.07, 4.14) ‡ | 3.86 (3.00, 4.36) ‡ | 3.78 (3.22, 4.29) |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| The degree to which the training content met clinical needs (4.04 ± 0.72 scores) | ||||
| Pearson’s correlation coefficients | 0.22 | 0.27 | 0.29 | 0.30 |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
| Received continuing education related to geriatric nursing | ||||
| Yes (937, 54.1%) | 4.29 (3.57, 4.86) | 3.89 (3.21, 4.39) | 4.00 (3.29, 4.57) | 3.96 (3.35, 4.45) |
| No (794, 45.9%) | 4.00 (3.29, 4.71) | 3.68 (3.00, 4.14) | 3.79 (3.00, 4.21) | 3.71 (3.10, 4.22) |
| P value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | < 0.001 |
†According to the economic level, the Chinese government divided the country into three economic regions: the eastern, central, and western regions. Thus, the participants were assigned to these three regions according to the location where they received gerontological nurse specialist training
‡ indicates that in the comparison of multiple groups (Kruskal‒Wallis H tests), the scores of other groups were significantly different from the reference group (the first group). § indicates that other groups were significantly different from the second group